Three Covid-19 vaccines added to Russian Health Ministry's recommendations

MOSCOW. Aug 18 (Interfax) - The Russian Health Ministry has updated the temporary guidelines for the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of Covid-19 by adding another three vaccines to the drugs available for vaccination in Russia, the ministry press service said on Thursday.

"The updated document includes information on new vaccines available for vaccination in Russia," the press service said.

Three vaccines have been added to the seven drugs mentioned in the previous edition of the guidelines in the "Specific Covid-19 Prevention in Adults" section of the document published on the ministry website.

These include the Convasel subunit recombinant vaccine developed by the Federal Medical-Biological Agency and registered by the Russian Health Ministry in March 2022, the Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) combined vector vaccine in the form of nasal drops developed by the Russian Health Ministry's Gamaleya Institute and registered in April 2022, and the Salnavac combined vector vaccine by Generium registered by the Russian Health Ministry in July 2022.

The list of recommended vaccines still includes Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V), Gam-COVID-Vac-Lio in the lyophilisate form for the preparation of an intramuscular injection solution, the Sputnik Light single-component vaccine, and Gam-COVID-Vac-M (Sputnik M) for minors aged from 12 to 17. All of these drugs have been developed by the Health Ministry's Gamaleya Institute.

The EpiVacCorona (for adults older than 18) and Avrora-CoV (for adults aged from 18 to 60) designed by the Vector Center of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor), and the CoviVac inactivated whole virion vaccine made by the Chumakov Center are also recommended for use.

The guidelines section, "Special Patient Groups," has been expanded and augmented with information for treatment of diabetes and mental patients.

The updated document has been directed to Russia's regions for daily use, the ministry said.